flowers in her hair  epilogue
by paulalou
Summary: This is the epilogue to flowers in her hair, a few people asked me not to post it at the end of flowers as they liked the end the way it was, but some people wanted the epilogue so here it is.Read it if you want to if you dont that's ok


This is the epilogue to flowers in her hair, a few people asked me not to post it at the end of flowers as they liked the end the way it was, but some people wanted the epilogue so here it is.

Love as ever paula lou

* * *

Ron watched as Theo teased the Whomping willow with a really large stick. He weighed up his choices, he could stop him and spoil his fun or he could wait till the youngster broke his arm and Hermione and his mother had a heart attack.

Begrudgingly he headed from the shelter of the tree by the lake that he had spent many a lazy day when he was back at school doing nothing but gaze at his future wife.

"Theo, Come on, that thing isn't to play with."

Theo turned his bright red head to his uncle and did a very Weasley retort with his left hand. Just in time for his right hand to get violently hit by the trashing tree.

Ron rolled his eyes as the sound of running could be heard from the castle.

"What's he done?" George pulled up short next to his brother.

"Playing with the shrubbery." Said Ron looking at his nephew who now had tears streaming down his face as he pleaded silently for his father to fix it.

"Wolfey can do it!" said Theo looking up at the two of them.

"How many times do we have to tell you not to call Teddy Wolfey?" asked George.

"He's part wolf! It's a perfectly acceptable nickname." Said Theo defensively. George moved forward and pointed his wand at Theo's arm and it mended instantly. George shook his head as he pointed his son back up to the castle where the party was going on.

"He gets it from you." George said as they watched his son disappear in through the old oak doors.

Ron looked at his brother affronted.

"Well look at it this way, he cant get it from me, I have never had relations with that tree."

Ron shook his head, "I dunno you crash a flying car in to something once and your branded for life."

"How come I ended up with the kid that takes after me, Freddie is nothing like Fred!"

"Oh he is, he just doesn't get caught."

George laughed as he let himself in through the doors leaving Ron on the steps alone. They had all left him alone a lot lately, maybe it was because it was the way he had been acting towards everyone but he couldn't see how.

Ron sat himself down on the steps and looked out over the grounds of his youth. To the untainted eye, to anyone who hadn't been there that night it looked as it always had, the lawns neatly tended to the edge of the forest, the lake rippling slightly as the creatures below the surface moved the water. Sixteen years had passed since that night. Time had healed most wounds; time could be a healer as his father used to say. Ron watched the figures down by the lake.

"They look like they're having fun."

Ron jumped a mile; he turned to his left as a Draco joined him on the steps.

"Give me a bloody heart attack why don't you?" Ron said, the blond beside him smiled, he looked aged so much more than the others had, Ron was strongly reminded of Remus, the bags under the eyes the greying hair, the grin.

"It's strange being back here like this." Draco said looking over to the lake; Ron knew where he was looking "The old place feels so small now."

"Did you ever picture this?" Ron said as one of the figures down by the lake threw or possibly dragged the other in to the water.

"DAISY!"

"LUCIAN!" both men jumped to their feet and ran to the lake where their first born had just disappeared in to the depths.

Ron dragged a little behind Draco whose wolf like tendencies made him as fast on two legs as he was on four. Not that Ron minded the years of Quidditch had left him with an urge to let others do the hard work for him. As they reached the small bank Draco stopped so suddenly that Ron almost crashed in to him.

Hermione was going to hit the roof; maybe he should just kill Daisy now, save her mother from doing it later, because she was going to.

Draco coughed loudly causing the two youngsters to jump apart quite suddenly.

"Oh they definitely look like they're having fun!" Daisy stepped back from Lucian, who was almost an identical copy of his father all be it the hair was darker than Draco's had ever been at school, but the piercing eyes were the same. Daisy was every bit her mother, but she had the bright blue eyes that Ron had bestowed upon her, she pointed an accusing finger at Lucian as he wiped the pail pink lipstick off with the back of his wet sleeve.

"He made me do it!" she said accusingly as she fiddled nervously with recently acquired green and silver prefect badge that was attached to the front of her vintage Weird Sisters T-shirt.

"Yeah, cause I would ever snog a filthy Slytherin!" said Lucian looking at his dad as he tried to hide something red and shiny that he had just detached from his own T-shirt in his pocket.

"I wouldn't let your mother hear you say that." Said Draco joining his son and fishing out the badge from his pocket. "You never told me you made Prefect?" Lucian shrugged. Ron watched as his daughter straightened herself out and re-adjusted her spiked hair. She grinned at him before resuming her gazing at Draco's son. "He didn't think it was real, He thought that I had sent it to him as a joke." Ron looked at his daughter accusingly; she had the same wicked nasty sense of humour as her uncles.

"I didn't ok, but he seams to think that 'cause he's a werewolf that he can't be a prefect, and I said that's a load of cr…" she looked at her dad… "Rubbish, 'cause our uncle Remus was a prefect." She said very matter of fact, as Ron pointed his wand at her and the water evaporated from her clothes.

"He was, your right, and Teddy was head boy, although it upset his mother a great deal." Said Ron looking at Draco who smiled; Tonks had become quite close to her nephew after the war. The fact that Tonks had become a dab hand at brewing the wolfsbane potion in the brief time that her and Remus had been together, it came in useful not only with Draco but then later Teddy and the young Lucian.

"I think it's about time we went back to the castle don't you?" said Ron trying to defuse the situation, his daughter was throwing Lucian Malfoy the same sort of looks that had been cast at him by Hermione in their time here. He knew now, before he even started, that anything to do with this was out of his and Hermione's control. As he and Draco followed there offspring up to the castle Draco seamed to be having the same sort of thoughts.

"It's you and Hermione all over again isn't it?" he asked as Daisy got redder and redder in the face as her and Lucian's argument picked up pace again.

"Nah, there only fifteen if I had, had that sort of confidence when I was fifteen it would have saved a hell of a lot of Krum." Draco smiled at him.

"How is victor anyway?"

"He came to see Hermione the other week, I was good I let him in the house."

"That's an improvement."

"Well do you blame me?"

"No not really, what did he want?"

"Wants me and Hermione to be godparents to little Marco."

"What did you say?" asked Draco.

"Hermione said yes, I'm non to happy about it though, I just don't trust him." Said Ron as Draco stopped suddenly.

"This coming from the man who said he would never trust a slytherin yet was best man at my wedding?"

"Yeah well your different aren't you!"

"How?"

"You saved Hermione's life!" Ron shrugged. "Plus what with Daisy being what she is…"

"It's ok you can say she's a slytherin, It's not like I'm going to hold it against you." Draco laughed "Who would have thought that I would have a Gryffindor prefect in the family?" he said shaking his head.

"Who would have thought you would have had a Gryffindor full stop?" said Ron as the two youngsters ahead slipped there hands in to each other's.

"'Mione's not gonna like it." Said Ron nodding ahead.

"I'm alright with it if you are?"

Ron looked at the sight in front of him, Draco may not have always been the greatest friend that a man could want, far from it at some points, but he had proven himself. Ron looked at Lucian and Daisy, Ron had watched the two of them grow up alongside each other, the Longbottom's the Potter's and the Malfoy's and of course the Weasley's had grown up together in Ottery St'Catchpole, they had grown up as an extended family. He thought he had always known that there was something between his daughter and Draco's only son, maybe it was the same feeling his father had had when he looked at him and Hermione.

"I can live with it, plus I know you would kill him if he hurt her."

"DAD!" both men caught up with the two youngsters as they walked in to the heat of the castle.

* * *

Harry watched as Ginny fussed over the twins, this would be the year that they went in to Hogwarts and they were wasting no time in trying to wrap the teachers around there little finger.

James was fetching Professor Flitwick a drink as Remus talked over excitedly to Neville about some new breed of plant. The fact that Neville wouldn't need many persuasion ever really crossed Remus' minds, Neville would always be Harry's eye's and ears in the castle. He has been since taking the position of Herbology teacher almost ten years ago.

The great hall was decorated in the house colours; it had become a tradition to meet here in this place on this night almost as soon as the war was over.

Over the years the numbers had grown as the new generations had joined the older generations.

Mrs Weasley sat at the head table her once vibrantly ginger hair faded to grey; her eyes sparkled, never with the same bright light that they had once. For some hurts were never going to heal but they sparkled with the pride that she had amassed over the years as her children had grown and left her grandchildren to dote on. The minister joined her, Kingsley had been doing the job just fine for many years and their world had decided that it was quite happy that way. His ideas on the New Ministry as it had become known had lead to a lot of changes, many who had fought in the war had gone on to work for him, Harry Ron, Draco and Hermione included.

"Uncle Harry?" He looked down, Hugo was just a mini Ron, the same hair the same big blue eyes, McGonagall had said she felt like she was having dejavu when Hugo and Sirius had turned up to be sorted, the resemblance to their fathers was so strong.

"Yep?"

"Did you really do all the stuff that they say you did?" he said as he took a seat next to Harry on the table.

"Who's been saying what?" Harry asked him, he had been waiting for it. The questions had started as soon as Daisy had started school, the first time she had come home for the holidays; he had expected it sooner that the third year with Sirius and Hugo. He watched as Daisy slunk in to the hall pulling Lucian by the hand a knowing smile crossed his face. Daisy was a smart girl of course she had wanted to know more soon.

"Zack Longbottom says that dad and Professor Longbottom were with you in the war, were you really in the war?"

He looked up and spotted Hermione watching him, he didn't know how he hadn't seen her there she was the size of a small house, she cradled her stomach and waddled over to them.

"Zack likes to tell story's. So don't believe everything that he says, but yes your Dad, Harry and Professor Longbottom, they were all part of the reason that were here today, you'll learn all about it in your lessons ok, now go find Sirius." She gently pushed her son in the direction of the others.

"You'll learn about it in your lessons? Not with Binns teaching he won't!"

Hermione smiled at him.

"That's what I'm hopping, it's bad enough you and Ron running around chasing bad guys without my son's getting the same stupid hero complex that their father and their uncle have."

"I dunno I kind of like the hero complex." Said Ginny handing Magenta back to her mother and kissing Harry on the cheek. The youngest Weasley pulled her mothers hair.

"Don't get me wrong, so do I." She smiled as Ron had made his way in to the room. "But I want the kids to have a normal childhood, not the messed up one we had."

* * *

"What you doing Weasley trying to breed a football team?" Dean said as both him and the rest of the D.A made there way over to the table.

"No more after this one!" said Hermione. " After this Ron has a Quidditch team, he ain't getting no more." Hermione felt the baby kick, just as Magenta made a dive for the salt. A set of hands got in the way.

"Arly!" the child piped up as her uncle took her in his arms.

"You want me to take her home? Dylan and Will are asleep, I don't mind taking them home to Taylor." Said Charlie as he hovered behind the group.

"No she's fine she's just a little over excited that's all." Said Hermione as Luna and Tonks sank in to the seats next to hers. She smiled serenely at Hermione who turned to her.

"Zack's been telling the boys story's again."

Luna smiled. Hermione shook her head she should have learned now that Luna would never change.

"Has anyone seen Andy?" Tonks asked as she moved to let Charlie in next to her. He wrapped his hand in with hers.

"She's fine hunny she's down with Hagrid feeding the thestrals." He reassured her. "You don't have to worry about her every second, she's not going to get eaten by any dragon's at Hogwarts she's fine."

"Yeah but you said she would be fine when I let you take her to work with you, but she wasn't was she."

"It was one little dragon bite!"

Hermione laughed in to her goblet as her eyes averted from Harry's.

* * *

Ron watched as Daisy joined the few members of slytherin that dared to show there faces, Hugo threw a filthy look at his older sister and Lucian who had been dragged to the slytherin table against his will.

"Traitor!" Sirius said sitting himself down at the Ravenclaws table with Zack, Lucian went red.

"You're trading your mates in for her, it's not on mate." Said Zack shaking his blond head.

"Freddie did the same, got a sniff of a girl and that was it, no more team…" said Zack shaking his head.

"Teddy did the same, It's sick that's what it is." Said Hugo pulling a face.

"You do know he howls at the moon right?" Theo said sitting himself down on the other side of Daisy. " I mean when was the last time you were wormed Wolfey?"

Lucian shook his head, "Bite me."

"Isn't that your job?"

"I'll bloody well bite you in a moment if you don't shut up." Said Daisy scowling at Theo.

"Idle threats get you nowhere." Said Theo.

"What's the big deal, so I'm in slytherin, what's the problem!" said Daisy getting to her feet. Ron could see the Hermione fury building behind the eyes. Problem was he knew that Hugo would retaliate and then Theo would join in and then the whole lot of them would end up with complete fall out.

It had happened before and no doubt it would again, many times.

"Is Daisy holding hands with Malfoy?" Hermione asked him as she walked to his side.

Ron turned to look at her; she was just as gorgeous now as when he had first laid eyes on her. He grinned at her then looked back at his oldest.

"Yep, me and Draco just caught them down under our tree." Ron could tell by the way that Hermione was fidgeting that this was not happy news, she still struggled with Draco even now.

"What did you say?"

"He's a Gryffindor, he's a prefect, and he's a good kid Hermione, to be honest I would be more worried if I were Draco."

As if on cue Daisy punched Theo in the face.

All hell broke loose.

Ron dashed forward and pulled Daisy off her cousin, Neville had done the same pulling Zack from the melee, Theo was held back by his father and Harry restrained Sirius who was about to swing for Zack.

"Alright scar face?" said Neville to Ron.

"Never better."

* * *

Ginny sighed as she listened to Professor McGonagall address them all. It felt like a lifetime since she had attended these halls. It felt like an age since she had felt the wind and the cheers of her housemates ringing in her ears. The hour was late and James and Remus slept beside their father on the bench, their dark red hair falling in to their eyes. Sirius sat with his head on her shoulder she knew he was tiered but was staying awake to prove a point over his two younger siblings. Ginny couldn't help looking forward to September first, she could go back to work full time, she loved being a mother but the thought of work had her enthralled.

The brood now surrounded Ron and Hermione, William and Dylan had obviously kicked up a fuss at being left at home as Freddie had appeared with them in toe just after the memorial service had finished. Dylan now sat with his nose in a book as his brother pushed miniature Quidditch players around the table. Daisy was still sitting with Lucian their heads together as if planning something. Hugo looked on in disgust. Magenta slept quietly on her father's knee. At the table next to them sat Neville and Luna, Zack sitting scribbling away in his notebook as beside him Dean and Lavenders daughter gazed on lovingly.

Draco got to his feet leaving Aime his wife to catch up with Flure her old school friend. Ginny felt Harry let go of her hand and follow him, Ron and Neville followed suit. Ginny said nothing she knew where they were going.

* * *

The white marble glistened in the moonlight that lit the school grounds as the four figures sat down on the bank of the river.

The tallest passed the bottles along the line never once looking away from the tomb.

"You think he knew?"

"Knew what?"

"Knew we could do it you mean?"

"I know he believed in us." Said Harry after some time.

"I think what we did was pure dumb luck." Said Ron.

"Nothing wrong with a bit of dumb luck." Said Neville

"Nothing wrong with it at all." Said Draco.

Silence fell over the group again.

"He was a good man."

"He was that."

"Never worried about what anyone thought of you other than him."

"Never afraid to give you a chance." Said Neville.

"Or a second chance." Said Draco.

Ron sighed the other three looked at him.

"What's up?" asked Harry.

"I just realised today how old I feel."

Draco laughed. " You and me both."

"You mean Daisy and Lucian?" asked Neville.

"Yeah, I mean don't you think that it felt just like yesterday that they were in nappies?" said Ron taking a swig from his bottle.

"Yeah it does, but then again it only feels like yesterday that you and Hermione were ripping each others heads off at every opportunity." Said Draco.

"And you were the biggest Git in existence." Pointed out Harry.

"Let's not forget how much of a Pratt you were Mr hero." Said Draco.

"Well I've always been just perfect!" said Neville.

The sound of laughter filled the grounds.

"A toast." Said Harry. "To Dumbledore, the man who knew we could."

* * *

Hermione looked down on to the grounds Ginny and Luna either side of her, it had been the same every year, the four of them would go down there, talk and toast Dumbledore. Whilst silently up in the castle the three of them would pray and toast their hero's, the men who loved them for them and had been willing to die for them each and every day. 


End file.
